


Field Trip

by biichan



Category: Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-04-03
Updated: 2008-04-03
Packaged: 2017-10-07 09:12:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biichan/pseuds/biichan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"Loch Ness is in Scotland," said Luke. "I don't think we have time to get there and back and still get up for school tomorrow morning."</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Field Trip

**Author's Note:**

  * For [minerva_fan](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=minerva_fan).



> Written for minerva_fan as part of the SJA Ficathon.

It started out, as these things do, when Sarah Jane asked them if they wanted to see the Loch Ness Monster. She said it very casually—in the very same tone of voice, in fact, that she used to ask Luke to pass her the laser spanner.

"Loch Ness is in Scotland," said Luke. "I don't think we have time to get there and back and still get up for school tomorrow morning."

"Never mind that," said Maria quickly. "I'm sure Dad and Sarah Jane could write notes for us—won't you, Dad?"

Alan made a vague noise of dissent. Maria's eyes narrowed.

"He won't need to," said Sarah Jane, forestalling a family argument. "We wouldn't be going until this weekend, anyhow."

"Oh," said Alan. "Well, that's different, then."

"It'll probably be an alien," Clyde said, leaning back against the couch. "Always is."

"A bio-engineered robot, actually," said Sarah Jane. "But you were close. It was made by aliens, at least."

Maria laughed. "Just like you, Luke," she teased.

"I don't think so," Luke said, frowning slightly. "I'm pretty sure that the construction of a pseudo-plesiosaur is a lot different than the construction of, well, me. And I'm not a robot."

Clyde grinned. "Are you sure? We can check for an off-switch." He stuck his hand down the back of Luke's tee shirt.

"Hey!" said Luke, laughing. "That tickles!"

Clyde grinned. "Not until I find your off-switch."

"Maria! Tell Clyde I don't _have_ an off-switch! Maria? Alan? _Mum_?!?"

***

"I don't think I've ever been so bored in my life."

"Clyde!" Maria hissed. "They'll hear you!"

"I don't care," said Clyde under his breath. "She said we were coming to see the Loch Ness Monster, but we haven't seen _anything_. All we've seen are a bunch of old people from UNIT. And most of them haven't even seen any aliens close up. All they've done is shoot them."

"Brigadier-General Lethbridge-Stewart has," said Luke. "He's been meeting aliens for forty years. He said so."

"Yes, well, he's talking to those other old geezers in kilts," said Clyde. "About _cricket_."

Luke frowned. "Is that bad?"

"Cricket," said Clyde, "is definitely not cool. Have you seen the outfits they wear?"

"They are a bit silly looking," Maria admitted.

"Exactly," said Clyde. "And can you believe none of them even bothered to take pictures? They've got the Loch Ness Monster swimming up the bloody Thames and no one even bothered to snap a photo."

"Well, to be fair, we were all a bit busy then," said a voice behind them.

Clyde turned around slowly. "Oh. Um. When I said 'old geezers,' I didn't mean you, sir."

"Of course not," said the Brigadier dryly. "Just the Duke and the Caber, then?"

"Um. Right. Yes." Clyde glanced down at his feet. How had he failed to notice how interesting his shoes were before?

He looked pathetic enough that Maria decided to rescue him. "Did he really swim up the Thames? Sarah Jane said he did, but we weren't sure if she was teasing us. Wouldn't people have _noticed_?"

"You'll find, Miss Jackson," the Brigadier said, "that most people are all too willing to ignore the things that are right under their noses."

Luke nodded. "Like your mum, Maria."

"Yeah," said Clyde."Chrissie probably wouldn't believe in the Loch Ness Monster if it bit her on the nose!"

"She's not _that_ bad," Maria said under her breath.

"I don't have any photos of the Monster," said the Brigadier, "but I do have a photo or two from the investigation. Would you like to look at them?"

Luke nodded. "Yes, please."

"Right," said the Brigadier. "Let me just get them out of my sporran."

***

"Oh my _God_!" Maria howled with laughter. "What's Sarah Jane _wearing_?"

"Something green," Clyde answered solemnly. "Something very, very, green."

Luke was frowning. "Why is the man next to Mum wearing such a long scarf? It doesn't seem very logical. Wouldn't he trip?"

"It was the seventies," said Clyde. "Everyone wore stupid stuff back then. Look at that bloke over there, the one with the perm!"

"That," said the Brigadier quietly, "was Doctor Sullivan. He was quite fond of Luke's mother."

Maria looked up. "Did something happen to him?" she asked softly.

"Missing in action," said the Brigadier gruffly. "Years back."

"Oh," said Maria. "I'm sorry."

Luke and Clyde nodded. "Me too," said Clyde.

The Brigadier sighed. "It's quite all right. These things happen."

"We could see if Mister Smith could help us find him," Luke suggested. "That's Mum's computer. He's an artificial intelligence."

"Your mother tends to attract those," said the Brig. "We'll see. Right now, I think I hear shouting. You three may get to see your Monster after all."

Clyde grinned. "_Brilliant_."

**Author's Note:**

> Most of the events referenced in this story took place during the Doctor Who serial _Terror of the Zygons_.


End file.
